Pressed metal vehicle door



June 13, 1933. J LEDWINKA 1,913,400

PRESSED METAL VEHICLE DOOR Filed July 31, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1'INVENTOR.

A TTOR NE Y.

JOSEPH Lwwmm' June 13, 1933. J. LEDWINKA I 1,913,400

PRESSED METAL VEHICLE DOOR Filed July 31. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR.

F16 BY JOSEPH LEDWINMA.

fifi/lw ATTORNEY.

Patented June 13, 1933 UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE Josnrn :tnnwINKA, orPHILADELPHIA, LPENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 'ro EDWARD e. nun-n MANUrAorUnINeCOMPANY, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A 00320- RArroN OF PENNSYLVANIAPRESSED METAL VEHICLE DOOR Application filed July 31, 1929. Serial No.382,373.

t The invention relates to pressed metal doors and particularly to suchdoors adapted for use in motor vehicles, such as automobiles of thepleasure car type. t It is a malnobject of the invention to make suchdoors as light as possible consistent with adequate strength, to reducethe cost of pro ductionof such doors, and yet to provide a door of thisclass which is rigid and durable. Other and further objects andadvantages and the means through which they are attained. will beevident from the following detailed description when readin connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which, Fig.1 is a perspective view ofthe outer panel stamping, according to the preferred form of theinvention, looking at it from the inside, as it appears prior toassembly.

. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail perspective views of the outer panelstamping, looking at itfrom the outer sides, and showing the varioussecti one around the window opening. j

Fig. la perspective view of the inner panel stamping, with minor partsassembled therewith, looking at it from the outer side, as respects thedoor as a whole, and toward the jamb rail portion.

F 5 is a partial perspectiveview of the inner panel stamping, looking atit from the inner side, and showing a central longitudinal sectionthereof.

F ig, 6 is a. perspective View of the inner panel stamping and attachedreinforcing means,'looking atthe outer side thereof and toward the hingerail, andshowing a longitudinal section thereof: i

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are'fragmentary perspec tive views, of the assembleddoor, showing in 7, a longitudinal section thereof, in Fig. 8, a sectionbelow and at the side of the window opening at the lock sideof the door,and

in Fig. 9, a section at theside of thewindow opening at the hinge side.

to the rail sect-ions shown inFigs. 7, 8 and 9, respectively.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary detail'sectionalj Fig. 14 is a fragmentaryenlarged detail view .of the bufferblock supporting offset on the innerpanel stamping as shown in Fig. 4.

According to the preferred form of the invention the outer panelstamping 10 form ing the outer face of the door has its body portioncurved to conform to the body curvature and is formed, as usual, with aperipheral flange 11, extending substantially at right angles to thebody of the panel, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7 and in full linesin Fig. 1, prior to itsassembly with the inner panel stampin designatedas a whole by numeral 12. i

Around the window opening the outer panel stamping 10 is formed with aninwardly extending flange 13 which may be given a curved contour asshown, or be otherwise formed to provide the desired finish contour atthe outside of the window opening.

This flange 13 is extended entirely around the window opening, andextends inwardly to substantially the plane of the vertically slidingglass. point, it is bent reversely by a relatively sharp curve at 14extending entirely around the window opening, and a reversely extendingflange extending toward the periphery of the panel. At the top thisflange is designated 15, the sides,'16 and the bottom 17. At the top andsides the edge flanges 15 and 16 extend substantially in the plane ofthe door according to the preferred form of the invention and at thebottom the flange 17 is inclined toward the body of the panel. At thesides, the flanges 16 are formed along their edges into channelformation, the bottom of the channel being designated 17 and the innerside of the channel, by 18. [These channel portions of the outer panelstampings are adapted to seat against the side rail portions of theinner stamping and be secured thereto A in a mannerto be presentlydescribed. Flgs. 10, 1,1 and 12 are enlarged sectional views of the topsand side railscorresponding It willbe noted that'the innerside wall 18of the channels is'of less height than the outer with suitable beading,as 19, and an offset, as:

To provide a smooth finish at this i I I5 on the outer side.

20, extending entirely around the window opening, this beading andoflsetting adding to the stilfness and strength of the panel, butvarying with the design of the body in which the door is to be used.

Theinner panel stamping 12 has its body portion curved corresponding tointerior contour of the body and is provided with transversejamb railportions at sides, top and bottom. The transverse jamb rail portionsmerge into each other at the corners by wellrounded curved portions, butfor convenience of description, the top portion is designated by 21, theside portion at the hinge side, by 22, the side portion at the lock sideby 23, and, the bottom portion, by 24. A continuousperipheral flange 25having square corners extendsentirely around the inner paneling, thisflange extending in the plane of the the'door, and being adapted to besecured to the outer peripheral portion of the outer panel'st'amping 10,as shown in Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, by crimping the edge of flange11, of the outer panel stampingover the edge flange 25 of the innerpanel stamping, thus forming a reinforced door overlap. Additionsecurely of joinder is assured by spot welding'in the criinped oint.

Around the window opening the inner panel stamping is formed with aninwardly extending flange 26, which may be curved eomplementally to thecontour of the outer panel, to form a garnish or finish on the insideofthe window opening similar to that The inwardly extending flange26 hasits edge spaced from the curved edge 14 of the outer panel to permit thevertical movementof the window glass therebetween. The edge portion offlange 26 is reversely bent on a relatively sharp curve at 27 to providea smooth finish and, in my preferred form, it is extended by a flange 28di-' rected toward the transverse jamb rail portions at the outerperiphery of the door.

This flange 28 may be formed at the top and bottom similar to the topand bottom flanges 15 and 17, respectively, of the outer panel, and atthesidcs by a relativelynarrow flange which isaligned, in the finalassembly of the A door with the inner side wall 18 of the chan;

nel at the edge of the outer panel stamping to form therewiththecomplete inner side Wall of the glass run channels. V p

At the bottom, the inner panel stampingis formed with an offset portion30 at the juncture of the main body of the panel and the transversejfllllb rail portion 24, this offset extending around the curved cornerportions, and thus additionally stiffening'the lower portion of thedoor, and, at the same time, providing a seat adapted to receive withinthe ofli'set', the edge of a weather strip and the means for securingitin'positiomnot shown.

At the topthe transverse rail portion 21 of J the inner panel stampingis slotted at 33 to permit the insertion and removal of the window glasspanel.

Reinforcing means forming a feature of this invention are provided tostrengthen the top and hinge side rail portions of the door wheregreater strength is desirable to form a suitably secure anchorage forthe hinges and, at the top, to reinforce the edges of the slot 33 in theinner panel stamping. This reinforcing means comprises two strips ofmetal 34 and 35 of heavier gauge than the panels, the one, 34, being anangle having its arms 36 and 37 nested at the bottom in the anglebetween the body of the inner panel stamping and the transverse railportion 22 and Welded to the rail portion. The flange or arm 37 is widerat the bottom than at the top and serves as means for securing a channel(not shown) forming the lower portion of the glass run. This strip 34extends from adjacent the bottom of the door to adjacent the topthereof, and the glass run channel 16, 17, 18 on the outer panelstamping is secured thereto, as by welding the bottom of the channel tothe strip.

The hinge straps 38 are secured to the outside face of the transversehinge rail portion 22 by means extending through the said portion andthe arm 36 of the angular reinforcing strip.

The reinforcing strip 35 for the top is of channel form in section andis extended around both the top rounded corners of the transverse jambrail portion of the door, the end adjacent the hinge rail being extendedto the top of the strip 34 and welded thereto, so that a continuousreinforcing means extends from the bottom of the hinge rail to andacross the top and around the top corner of the door at the lock side.The channel of the top reinforce 35 is cut out or slotted at 39 tocorrespond with the slot in inner panel rail portion 21, and the angularportions 40 bordering the slot are welded to and reinforce the edges ofthe slot in panel rail portion 21.

At the lock side, the side rail portion of the inner panel istransversely stepped throughout the greater portion of its length in ausual manner, and the bottom 17 of the channel 16, 17 and 18 of theouter panel is Welded at the side of the Window opening to the inwardlyoffset portion 41 of the stepped rail portion. See'liig. 8.

A channel member 42 secured to the lower portion of the lock side railportion 23, forms a downward extension of the glass run channel adaptedto guide the window panel in its from its strength, and also permittingready access to the regulator or look mechanism arranged between thepanels, when desired;

An outward offset, as 47, in the lower margin ofone of the openings isadapted to extend into the path of movement of an arm, not shown, on thewindow regulator mechanism, and is slotted as at 48to receive aresilient buffer block adapted to frictionally engage the side of'theslot, and to be thus held in place without other means. This block,being arranged in the path of'the arm of the regulator mechanism buffersthe descent of said arm.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that applicanthasproduced a sheet metal door, requiring a minimum number of formingand assembling operations, one which is exceedingly light in weight, yetbe cause of the formation of its inner and outer panel stampings andtheir manner of joinder, one which is strong enough to meet all thedemands of service, and one which involves the use of a minimum numberof separate parts, and may be almost wholly built up of light gaugesheet metal. It is an improve ment over prior doors of this class usinginner and outer panel stampings extending entirely around the windowopening and forming the jamb rails of the door in that it eliminatesentirely the necessity of using a separate stamping or stampings, inaddition to the panel stampings, to form the glass run channel framearound the window openings.

The. formations around the window opening and elsewhere may be variedwithin the scope of the appended claims. In Fig. 13, 1n which one suchmodification is shown, both outer and inner panels stampings are firstextended toward the center of the window opening as at 50, and then bentback upon themselves as at 51, to provide an inwardly extending bead atboth sides of the window glass.

therein to permit insertion or removal of a window glass, and an angularmetal reinforcing strip extending continuously around the hinge side andtop of sa d transversely extending portion.

9-. sheet metal door comprising an inner stamping extending entirelyaround the'window openingand forming the window moulding at the edgesofsaid opening and extend ed transversely in its outer portion to formthejamb faces of the door, the upper transverse portion merging by wellrounded corners into theside transverse portions and being slotted toermit insertion and removal of i the window g ass from the top, and achannel section reinforcing member secured to the inner surface of saidupper transverseportion and extended around the rounded corners throughwhich said upper portion merges into the side transverse portions, saidmember being slotted correspondingly to said transverse portion of thepanel, thereby forming angular reinforcements on each side of the slotin the panel.

3. An inner panel stamping for sheet metal doors having transverselyextending lower and side jamb face portions merging into each otherthrough well-rounded corner formations, and an offset formed in thelower edge of said panel adjacent the junction of its body with thetransverse jamb face portion, said offset extending around the cornersand providing a recess to receive a weather strip and securing meanstherefor.

41. A sheet metal door comprised of inner and outer stampings formingthe inner and outer faces of the door and the moulding around the windowopening as well as transversely extending jamb face portions of the doorhaving well rounded corners, and a reinforcing strip extending fromthelower end of the hinge rail portion across the top, and

around the corner at the top of the lock rail side of the door, saidreinforce being of angular section along the hinge rail side, the anglenesting with the angle formed by the body of the stamping and itstransverse jamb rail portion, and of channel section across the top andthroughout the rounded corners of the door, said top transverse portionof the panel and the channel portion of the reinforce being slotted topermit insertion and removal of the window glass.

5. An inner panel stamping for sheet metal doors having its body portionarranged in the plane of the door and its edges extended transversely toform the jamb portion of the door, and an angular reinforcement arrangedwithin the angle formed by the body portion of the door and itstransverse jamb rail portion and extending along a horizontal andvertical edge of the door.

6. An inner panel stamping for sheet metal doors having its body portionarranged in the plane of the door and its edges extended transversely toform the j amb portion of the door, and an angular reinforcementarrangedwithin the angle formed by the body portion of the door and itstransverse jamb rail portion, the inner arm ofsaid angle memher being ofsubstantially greater Width below than above the lower edge of theWindow opening.

7. A sheet metal door having an inner transversely extending panelconnecting the side rails of the door and adapted to mount the Windowregulator mechanism, said panel having an inwardly offset portionprovided With a slot, adapted to mount a limit stop for said regulatormechanism.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

JOSEPH LEDVVINKA.

